Medical School Application Papers To Be Shipped With Love

Hooray!!! Today, at approximately 10:20PM, at a FedEx Office on the island of Oahu, we finished preparing our preliminary documents to submit our application to attend medical school in the Philippines. According to the shipping clerk, our FedEx envelope will be sent tomorrow, February 14, 2013, and it should arrive in the Philippines on Monday, February 18, 2013.

Like my friend said, "It will be shipped 'with love'".

Let's hope that in return, FedEx will handle it "with care".

It took us nearly one entire month just to put the documents together...and these are just the preliminary ones. Nonetheless, I am so grateful that we are finally done with shipping out the first set!

We are making progress!

Getting Our U.S. Documents Authenticated by the Philippine Consulate General Honolulu

Banner at the Philippine Consulate General Honolulu - Photo Taken in August 2011

As part of applying for a slot in a Philippine Medical School, prospective foreign students are required to submit additional documents compared to their local counterparts. Examples of such documents include a police clearance, an Affidavit of Support / bank certification, a photocopy of the data page of one's passport, etc. These documents need to be authenticated by the nearest Philippine Consulate General - in our case, it would be the one in Honolulu, Hawaii. According to the Philippine Consulate General Honolulu's website, "Any legal document issued in the U.S. must first be acknowledged or authenticated ('consularized') by the Philippine Embassy / Consulate General in order for that document to have any legal vailidity in the Philippines."

Dear Biology: This Is How My Layperson Brain Works

Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia

I am a layperson. I am a Communications undergrad with an MBA. I am no Science major. What on earth is this photo supposed to mean???

We've got only one week left before our Philippine NMAT examination in Los Angeles. I'm obviously reviewing for the Biology subtest. It's the first step in hopefully becoming a doctor one day and doing medical missions in the Asia-Pacific region.

Mentally Preparing for the Philippine NMAT

Eighteen days to go, and it's time to take the Philippine NMAT in Los Angeles!!!

I still have not studied. If it's any consolation (to myself), I have prepared myself in the last 14 days by reading up a lot on what it's like to go to med school in the Philippines and what it would take to be able to practice medicine in the United States, while dreaming up what it would be like to go on missions trips in the Asia Pacific.

Meanwhile, I was able to secure babysitting assistance for our three children so that I can spend some (very needed) time to study. Although, I must say, I can't completely "sign out" of parenting (then again, once we sign up for parenting, we are "signed in" for life) while studying since I have to periodically take a break to pump breastmilk while away from our infant. I'm not sure if this information is considered "TMI" for other countries/cultures; however, here in the United States, breastfeeding is encouraged.  For example, in most workplaces, we even had our very own lactation room, and we were allowed to excuse ourselves from meetings to do our "mommy-business". I know this will be a challenge for me during the NMAT test day, so I'll make sure to give the test coordinator a call to find out what the break schedules are in between lunch, if any. If none, at least, I'll know how to prepare.

Half Moon Bay and Doctors' Appreciation Day

The Ritz Carlton at Half Moon Bay

I must admit: I am both excited and nervous about the idea of going to Med School.